Improvement in machines for breaking flax and hemp



J. HINDE.

Flax Brake.

No. 11.647. Patented Sept. 5, 1854.

J/ge

UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE.

JOHN HINDE, OF SCHENEOTADY, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR BREKING FLAX AND HEMP.

Specification forming part of `Letters Patent No. 11,647, dated September 5, 1854.

.T0 all whom t rita/ 7j concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN HINDE, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Breaking Flax and Hemp or other Fibrons and Voody Substances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in passing the iiax, hemp, or other material between a ribbed or flnted sheet or endless apron and a series of fluted rollers, which have a rolling and vi brating motion over its surface. The action of this sheet or apron and the rollers isintended to resemble the action of the human fingers in rubbing and divesting the material of its boon or woody substance.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to hdescribe its construction and operation.

A is the frame of the machine, at one end of which is a table, B, on which the flax, straw, or other material is spread out to be taken between a pair of fluted rollers, C G, and conducted between a pair of screw-rollers, D D, and another pair of ner fiuted rollers, E E,which deposit it upon the horizontal ribbed sheet or endless apron F. This ribbed sheet or endless aprcn F is composed of a series of plates of cast iron or other metal, having ribs c a, which extend transversely from side to side, and being hinged together and furnished on each side with rollers c @,which run around an endless track,b,on either side of the frame. It is made to receive acontinuous motion around the track in the direction of the arrow shown above it in Fig. 2 by means of a `spur-toothed wheel, d, which gears with a toothed rack on the back or inner side of the apron, the said spur-wheel being fast upon a shaft, G, which receives motion from the driving-shaft II of the machine by a part of the same train of gearing that gives motion to the flnted and screw rollers aforesaid.

Above the ribbed apron is the series of iiuted rollers N N, to whose action the material is submitted while upon the ribbed apron. 'These rollers have their flutes corresponding with the ribs on the apron; Their journals areufltted to bearings in the side pieces, I I, of a movable frame, by which they are kept far enough apart to prevent interference with each other. This frame is nearly parallel with the apron, and is supported upon rockers J .I ,which rest on the top of the fixed frame, being adjustable by screws e e, so that the flutes of the rollers and the ribs on theapron may engage more or less intimately with each other. The rollers which are farthest advanced on the apron are set closer thereto than the less advanced ones. The frame I I receives a reciprocating movement, which may be .imparted either by a crank or an eccentric, K, on the driving-shaft, connecting with it by means of a rod, L, and a lever, M. (See Fig. l.) This reciprocating movement of the rollers in cont-act with the apron or with the material upon it, while the latter is in motion, causes them to receive a circular motion, which is very considerable when the frame containing them moves in an opposite direction to the apron; but comparatively slight or altogether suspended (according to the relative velocities of the apron and frame) when both move in the same direction. The flax, straw, or other material receives a preparatory breaking between the rollers C C, D D, and E E before arriving upon the ribbed apron, where the operation is continued until it is delivered at the end of the apron with the woody portion so thoroughly broken and separated that what remains adhering to the fiber can easily be blown out except the seed ends.

For straight, pulled, or cradled fiax or hemp I do not use any draft on the machine; but for tangled flax or tow I cause a draft by giving the apron a quicker motion than the feed-rollers E, "and those a faster motion than the screw-rollers, and so on. For straight flax, Src., I use about the number of rollers N N represented; but for tangled flax or tow I use a greater number,though I do not in either case confine myself to any particular number.

Having thus fully described my invention, I will proceed to state what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, first remarking that I do not limit my invention to the employnient of the apron F and rollers N N in N, Working upon it, substantially as and for connection with the pairs of lnted and screw the purposes described.

rollers in the machine represented, but intend 2. Giving to the said rollers a reciprocating to use them either alone or connected with any motion backward and forward upon the sheet other apparatus for performing a preparatory or apron, substantially as set forth.

breaking operation; but JOHN EINDE.

Vhat I claim as my invention s Vtnesses: l. The employment of amoving ribbed sheet THOMAS EINDE,

or endless apron, Ewith a series of rollers, N HENRY M. CRANE. 

